


things are gonna change

by captandor



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Gen, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 15:15:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13504200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captandor/pseuds/captandor
Summary: The Leaky Cauldron is no more, and we must move on.





	things are gonna change

**Author's Note:**

> Who: Percy Weasley, Director of Communications, Ministry of Magic  
> When: 11:30pm, 1/27/10  
> Where: Ministry of Magic - Delivered live via the Network to all of Wizarding UK.  
> What: Percy makes the devastating announcements on behalf of the Ministry.  
> Warnings: Character death/angst/discussions of violence.
> 
> The Leaky is no more, and we must move on.
> 
> Written for Victory Road RPG @ insanejournal.

Percy had to take several deep breaths before standing at the podium. He was exhausted - had spent most of the evening sweating through a Brackium Emendo spell on his right leg. He'd broken his tibia and fibula and fractured his kneecap, which was still sorting itself out all these hours later, but he had a job to do, and so he'd impatiently told one of the healers to get him a pair of goddamned crutches and get him back to the Ministry. The charm would continue it's work and he would work through the pain. There was a slight sheen of sweat still lining his hairline, he'd given up trying to keep it at bay, the pain still throbbing and keeping him nauseous. But he'd put on a clean suit and a shirt and he couldn't decide on a tie. Penelope had come to the rescue, bringing his change of clothes and even tying the knot for him when his hands shook. She'd met him at his office at the Ministry around 10pm, when he'd finally had a moment. He'd been in touch before then, of course, to let her know he was (relatively) alright, but to see her had taken him a bit. She was still there, tiny Olivia snoozing in a bassinet in his office, with Kenny babysitting, and Penelope stood behind the crowd of Press.

Percy focused on the faces of each other them, still taking a moment, the crutches doing a good job of keep his weight off the pained leg. He saw Katie Bell, and Blaise of course, and there was Patil from Witch Weekly. He recognized them all, Hermione sitting at the front with a quill and notepad, and he wondered if anyone of them were working through this having lost a loved one, or the doubt of not knowing if they have. With one more deep, slow breath, he began.

"Good evening, I apologize for the late hour. This Press Conference is being broadcast live via the DMTC Network and the WWN. Earlier this evening, just before the 5 o'clock hour in London, the Wizarding Pub and Inn known as the Leaky Cauldron suffered a catastrophic explosion. We have it on good authority thanks to the work of our Aurors' that the cause was not intentional, but the result of a blown boiler. We have a preliminary list of the lost and injured, and Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt has assured me that all next of kin have been visited and spoken to by a member of the Aurors' Family Liaison Office.

It is with great sadness that we make this announcement, and our thoughts and magic lie with the families of those lost this evening. It is with that I welcome the Minister to make his statement. After Minister Shacklebolt has read his statement, Head of the Aurors' Office Harry Potter will speak and then I will field questions. Please, keep your questions to the subject at hand. Minister." Percy sat heavily after shaking Kingsley's hand and hobbling back to his seat behind the Minister. He set the crutches down as quietly as he could and was certain you could hear a pin drop in the silence despite the size of the crowd.

Kingsley cleared his throat and began, "Tonight our community has suffered a great loss. It is in moments like this that we must come together to support those injured and who have lost love ones, we must lift them up during their incredible low. I have faith in our community - we have banded together to defeat hate, but I must say it's almost... easier... in a way, to fight an enemy. A tragedy such as this leaves us questioning where to place the blame, our anger, our despair. I ask that you take those, and instead of feeling lost in the dark, use your feelings of confusion and disorientation to reach out to your neighbors, your families. I must also first thank the first responders who threw themselves completely into the line of danger to save so many. Our Healers, Aurors, and community leaders had no idea what they were running into, but they ran in anyway, and for that we are forever grateful.

I will read a list of those we currently know to be lost and as we receive more information, my team here at the Ministry will update the community as we can. If you are concerned about a missing or injured loved one, the Communications Office is working with the DMLE to set up an emergency help line on the Network, the details of which we will announce as soon as absolutely possible.

Tonight, we mourn the loss of:

Dominic Applebaum, Proprietor of the Hogs Head Pub, Hogsmeade.  
Roger Davies, of the Ministry of Magic Department of Mysteries.  
Liesl Diegenhardt, Assistant General Manager of the Leaky Cauldron.  
Ella Goldstein, of the Victory Road Clinic.  
Kevin Entwhistle, Ministry of Magic Liaison to Hogwarts.  
Johnny Johnson, Head of Security at the Leaky Cauldron.  
Gwenog Jones, Captain of the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team.  
Megan Jones, Staff of the Leaky Cauldron.  
Ernie Macmillan, Wand Apprentice to Ollivander.  
Ruby MacNamera, Assistant Manager of Honeydukes, Victory Road, and mother to a young son.  
Philip Montgomery, lawyer and son of DMLE Head Eugenia Montgomery.  
Delilah Moon, Daily Prophet Reporter.  
Ewan Summerby, Ministry researcher, husband to Pandora Summerby and father to twins Ainsley & McKay Summerby.  
Erin Troy, Chaser for the Montrose Magpies Quidditch team.

If you'd indulge me, I'd like to ask for a moment of silence across Britain for those lost." Kingsley bowed his head for a short moment, his voice had come out thick while he read the names, his heart heavy.

After a moment had passed, he resumed, noting some in the room seemed totally overwhelmed, "The list of injured is still being discovered, and we will update the public as we can concerning the status of those involved. Now, I'd like to ask Head Auror Harry Potter to come to the podium to update us on the blast." Kingsley gave a grave nod and stepped back, shaking hands with Harry with a laden look before returning to his seat next to Percy.

Harry gave the crowd a sweeping glance, his eyes settling on Hermione. She was his calm in the storm and seeing her there - sitting among the crowd because only three men were on stage - immediately slowed his heart rate and gave him the clarity to get his point across. Harry hated public speaking, even more so in moments like this. Because of something like this.

"My remarks will be brief. I'd like to also give my condolences to those lost and their loved ones, and to thank our first responders. My Aurors have worked tirelessly all evening, and will work through the night, doing what we can to mitigate the damage to the landmark Leaky Cauldron. We've also been in touch with the Muggle authorities in London via the Ministry Muggle Liaison office and are working closely with them so as not to alarm the public on the Muggle side of the block.

I would like to stress that this was in no way an act of intention. There was no terrorism, no dark magic, nor any dark witches or wizards involved. Our very best have personally inspected the building and the boiler room and we can say without a doubt that a faulty system is to blame for this tragedy, and nothing more. Please do not fear as we move forward. Please call the Ministry DMLE if you have any questions before the Help Line is operational, my entire Office has been called in with the exception of those currently in the field at the accident site. We will answer the phone. We will be there, as we always strive to be, though this. I personally will not rest until we know everything, until everyone has been accounted for, and until I have personally spoken to the next of kin of the lost, if they wish. Our Family Liaison Office is incredibly well-equipped, with trained psychologists and family therapists available if you have need of them, and I have faith in the team.

Echoing the Minister's comments, I must say, please don't turn inward as you grieve. We all know what it is to lose someone - to an accident, a war, a cause bigger than ourselves. It wasn't very long ago - just 11 short years - that we had to learn to lean on each other as we scraped together what was left to learn to move on. Use those lessons now, lean on each other, lean on us, let people be there for you and don't allow this to make you afraid. And lastly, if you're on the list or know where someone on the list is, let us know so people don't worry. Also, if you have any information about their whereabouts, let us know. Thank you."

Harry helped Percy to his feet before sitting and Percy, feeling hardly less at ease physically than he had ten minutes before, made his way back tot he podium. "I will now open the floor for questions," and the flurry began...


End file.
